Forever
by Ms.Wings
Summary: As Fall arrives the family ajusts to big changes. A shipper fic. Hey I finally updated it! Ha ha ha.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One- A boy and his dog

Andrew, Adam and Michael were walking back to the house from watching a baseball game in the park. It was mid afternoon and they were just finishing a 'guys day out,' after all, living with eight women could get on their nerves every once in a while, no matter how much they loved them. It was certainly most irritating for Michael, who was the only little boy a house full of little girls. His secret wish was for a little brother or cousin, but something told him that would never happen.

Michael ran a few steps ahead of his father and uncle. He enjoyed this freedom he had when out with his Dad. He could run around as he pleased and did not have to keep hold of his hand. His sister hated this freedom and always clung to her father anyway as she was very shy in public places. Michael crushed the fall leaves under his feet as he walked along. He wasn't really looking where he was going and suddenly something knocked him off his feet. He sat straight up and looked at the source of his unanticipated fall. It barked at him. He smiled brightly. Michael's eyes lit up.

"Hi!" He hugged the dog and it licked his face in reply.

"What do you have here, Michael?" Michael looked up when he heard his father speak.

"Can I keep him Dad, please?"

"We'll see son. It depends." He bent down to Michael's level.

"On what?"

"It depends on weather or not this dog belongs to someone, and weather or not the family says that you can keep him. What do you think Andrew?"

"Are you kidding, I want to keep him! He's cute! Besides it's about time that we have a pet!"

"Okay, come on, let's go home."

The three men of the house and the dog went back to the house.

"Mom, Mom!" Michael called as he came into the kitchen. The dog at his heals.

"What, what honey?" She asked, turning around from her place pealing potatoes at the kitchen sink. Monica worked beside her she turned around too.

"Oh, oh, who's…"

"This is my dog. Can we keep him Mom, please? Aunt Monica?" Gloria and Monica exchanged glances.

"It's okay with me, if it's okay with you Monica."

"Oh I'd love to! This little guy is so sweet!"

"Yay!" He cheered loudly.

"What is it?" Tessa asked as she came down the stairs followed by her three sisters and her cousin. All five girls sat on the stairs.

"This is my dog!" He said proudly.

"Aww…" All five seemed to say at once as the dog rushed over to them. Tessa and Hanna began to pet the dog.

"What are you going to name him, Michael?" Zoe asked.

"I don't know yet."

"Michael." His aunt said gently.

"Yes."

"There's just one thing… and that's…"

"Grandma." All the girls said at once and Michael turned once again to face his grandmother.

"What is this Michael?"

"Please grandma, can I keep him! Please!"

"Please!" The girls asked.

Tess did not look pleased. She had that look in her eyes. The squinty one when she gets mad. Monica knew that it wasn't really her decision. The days of her deciding everything because it was her car and she was supervisor had long since past. Monica was supervisor now, and if keeping this dog was anyone's decision it was Andrew's because the house belonged to him. But there was a certain respect that they all had for Tess, her being their mother of sorts and a definite grandmother to their children.

"Michael, will you look after this dog?"

"Oh yes!"

"Will you feed it, wash it, walk it…"

"Yes! Yes!"

Tess looked down into the pleading eyes of her grandchildren, and she sighed, knowing that she couldn't say no to them. But on the other hand, Michael was far too young to care for this dog by himself. It was almost bigger than he was.

"Will all of you help Michael care for this dog?"

The girls nodded enthusiastically, as though they were one person.

"Michael, congratulations baby, he's all yours."

He smiled and hugged her legs.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Your welcome sweetheart."

The girls cheered in the background.

"Hey, how come you guys all talk as one today?"

"I don't know." Tessa and Hanna spoke at the same time and then burst into a fit of giggles. Monica smiled brightly, happy to see her twins together and so happy, like they were as babies.

"Michael, why don't you go outside and try to name this little guy, okay?" His mother urged.

"Okay Mom." He turned and the dog followed. Olivia and Sophie climbed off their places on the stairs and ran after them.

Hanna and Tessa turned up the stairs and rushed up to their room. Zoe remained there by herself. This was the one thing that Monica had not foreseen considering Hanna's return to the family. Of course Hanna and Tessa would become attached they were twins. But she never considered that her poor little Zoe would be left out completely, but that is what had happened. Gloria, by this time had gone back to her work but Monica stood, simply staring at Zoe who sat with her knees drawn up to her chin. She rocked herself slowly as though she were trying to keep from crying. Monica had not seen her daughter this miserable since she was an emotional little toddler (back then she had been scared to death of nearly everything).

"Oh honey, it's alright." She sat on the stair and hugged her.

"Not it's not Mom," She confided, tears pouring out of her sparkling emerald eyes.

"I know it's hard but they don't mean to…"

"Of course they don't mean to. I'm to old to play with them," she said pointing to the door in reference to her cousins and younger sister. "And I'm too young to hang out with Tessa and Hanna."

Monica hugged Zoe tightly.

"I know darl'in, I know." Zoe started to cry. "You'll find a balance soon sweetheart, you will." She kissed Zoe's head softly.

"Are you excited about the dog?"

"Tessa and I never got our kitten."

"That's right." Said Tessa as she came down the stairs. "We never did get our kitten." Hanna stood quietly, Monica wondered what kind of pet she would have had, but then she spoke.

"I wanted a cat too. She said they were too cuddly and furry. I argued that black cats are a symbol of Halloween she just waved me off. Long story short, she got me a bat."

Monica looked horrified.

"No Mom, really a bat." She said as she swung her arms like a baseball bat. They all laughed. "So I've never had a pet either."

"Mom?"

"Yes Tessa?"

"Zoe and I would like to know, can we have our cat?"

"Didn't you ever understand why you couldn't have one in the first place."

Tessa and Zoe exchanged glances.

"No, I guess not." Zoe spoke.

"Because we don't know if anyone will be here to take care.of it, and unlike a dog, you can't take it on assignments with you."

"But Mom, there are eleven of us in this house, someone's always going to be here."

"Okay." Monica sighed. "I'll mention this to your daddy, but don't say anything to or around Sophie or Olivia."

"I don't think they'd care." Gloria laughed. "Look at them with that dog."

Monica walked over to the window, and with out having to even see each other's faces the two mothers began to laugh.

"They're trying to ride the dog, poor thing." Monica smiled brightly as she walked to the back door and opened it.

"Sophie Faith!" She yelled. "Get off that Dog right now!"

Sophie fell off the dog and landed in a pile of crisp golden leaves. She laughed as Olivia jumped in with her


	2. Chapter 2

"What are you going to name your dog Michael?" His mother asked. It had began to rain and all the kids were brought back in the house along with the dog. All six of them sat at their mother's feet in the kitchen.

"Well." He said, looking around. "I thought maybe we could vote. It's not just my dog, after all."

"I'm proud of you for thinking of it like that." Gloria smiled at her little boy.

"Thanks. Anyway, I was thinking maybe we could name her…" He was clueless.

"What do you think, girls?" Monica asked her niece and daughters.

"I don't know." Sophie said honestly. The rest of the girls had no idea either.

"Well, we can't just call her dog, can we?"

"No. We can't." Gloria agreed.

"Maybe we should wait and see what's she's like before we name her." Hanna suggested.

"I like that, sweetie."

"Me too."

And that's what they set to do, wait and name the dog.

………………..

"The end." Monica finished.

"More Mommy!" Sophie insisted.

"No little angel, its bedtime." Monica smiled as she covered her little girl and kissed her softly. "Aren't you tired?" She asked as she kissed Sophie. She got her answer when she realized that the little girl was fast asleep. Monica smiled and went down the hall to her older girl's room.

The room was dark, and Tessa and Hanna were fast asleep. Monica saw that only Zoe remained and she bent down next to her bed where she lye.

"Hi Princess." She smiled, running her fingers through Zoe's hair.

"Hi."

"Can't sleep?"

"No." She said honestly.

"Sophie couldn't either. You feel okay? What is it, sweetheart?"

"Just thinking, that's all Mommy." She yawned.

"Alright, darling. I love you." She kissed her softly.

"I love you too." Another yawn overtaking her words, and Monica left the room. She shut the door and instantly felt arms wrap around her. She squealed quietly as these arms lifted her up and carried her all the way to her bed and lye her down. She looked into her husband's emerald green eyes as he lye on top of her, their faces not inches apart.

"How was your day?" She asked him.

"Great…now. And yours?"

"Perfect." She smiled as he kissed her.

Ordinarily they would talk about the girls or something that happened that day, but now they were simply too passion filled. They missed each other far too much. He ran his fingers through her hair.

"My angel, oh, my angel." He said as he looked into her eyes and kissed her temple softly.

"I love you." She smiled brightly.

"I love you beyond all words, darling joy of my heart." He told her as he held her tighter to him and they shared a deep passion-filled kiss. Monica kissed back with an equal passion and soon it was a contest for them and it evolved into the most spectacular kiss she thought they'd ever shared. Its end left them both gasping for breath, and Monica looked into her husband's eyes once more. She got lost in his emerald green pools and fell head over heals in love all over again. She kissed him again and he held her even closer to him. He loved simply holding her in his arms and feeling her there with him. Her eyes too made him fall in love again, assuring him, that no matter how pretty she was, it was her spirit he'd fallen for. Nevertheless, he couldn't get enough of his wife. His heart was full of one of the greatest loves he'd ever felt and he couldn't stand it anymore. He kissed her once more, feeling that he could never get enough of her.

"You're so beautiful." He told her and she returned his smile.

"Thank you."

"Oh no!" He sighed, taking out his pocket watch.

"You have to go." She ran her hands across his back soothingly.

"Yeah. I'll see you later, sweetie. Don't wake up, this could take a while." He kissed her softly. It was a little kiss at first but neither of them could let go. The passion would not leave them. Finally their kiss was broken and he kissed her once again and disappeared. She wondered why he had to leave at the most inconvenient times.

………………..

"Mom, when is it our birthday?" Michael asked his mother as they walked in the park, the dog's leash in his hand.

"Soon, right?" Olivia inquired.

"Yeah, real soon, February 14th guys, remember? And what is it now?"

"November."

"Yeah, you've got three months." She smiled down at the twins as they came near the playground.

"Can we go Mommy?" Olivia inquired.

"Of course sweetie." She smiled, taking the dog's leash in her hand. "Go on, but don't run too far ahead." She warned and of course the twins took off at the speed of light.

Suddenly, Gloria felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She looked up to see her husband.

"Hey." He said.

"Hi." She smiled, wrapping her free arm around the arms that were holding her. "Are you okay?" She asked, able to tell that something was on his mind.

"Well, honestly. I have something to tell you."

"What is it? Whatever it is, we'll get through it together." She told him as they sat down on the bench.

"Well. Oh Gloria, this is so hard."

She wondered what it was that he had to tell her. It couldn't be that bad, could it? He never would have cheated on her, would he? He wouldn't want to leave her? And the twins, what about the twins?

"Okay. I'm getting moved."

"Moved?"

"Yeah, sweetie, I'm not working out of New York anymore."

"What?"

"I've been transferred to be an angel of death in another part of the world. I'm not to live here anymore."

"Does this mean we're going to be se, separated?" She forced herself to ask him, and all he could do was nod sadly as he brushed her cheek softly.


	3. Chapter 3

The first storm

"I'm scared!" Sophie sobbed, rubbing her eyes as she crept into the room shared by her three older sisters.

"There, Sophie. It's okay." Hanna smiled as she lifted her into her arms. The thunder crakled outside. Zoe jumped. Tessa shot her a strange look.

"I'm not scared!" Zoe insisted.

"I wasn't inferring that you were." Tessa defended her self.

"It's bed time girls." Monica came into her daughter's room, surprised to find Sophie there. "Come on, darling, bed time." She took Sophie from Hanna.

"Please Mom. She's scared. Let her stay with us tonight." Hanna explained. Monica looked down and saw the tears in her little girl's eyes and she kissed her.

"Why are you afraid, honey?" Sophie started to cry when the lightening struck. "Shu, shu, honey. That's okay. There's no reason to cry." Monica walked back down the hall with a crying Sophie in her arms.

Tessa, Hanna and Zoe climbed into bed. They were each exhausted and they would all be heading out of town the next day. Each of them would have rather spent their day lying in bed doing absolutely nothing but talking to each other. The next day was not to be a family outing as the one they had had a few weeks before. This time they were all going on assignment. Not just them and their parents, the whole house. None of the girls knew what the assignment would entail for them, it could even mean nothing, but still they needed to be well rested.

"Girls." Monica came in again, Sophie still in her arms. The little girl had stopped crying and was now sucking on her thumb. "Can Sophie sleep with you, she can't sleep alone and…."

"Here." Hanna held out her arms and Monica placed Sophie there.

"Thank you darling." She helped to tuck Sophie into bed.

Soon three of the four sisters were asleep. Zoe closed her eyes and sighed, she could not sleep no matter how hard she tried or how tired she was. Her eyes were heavy and she could not keep them open. But something was bothering her, she was afraid, very afraid. After a while, she succumbed to sleep and joined her sisters in dreamland. Zoe slept uneasily, and no more than an hour later, the four awoke suddenly with a start. Thunder clapped and the lightening flashed like fire through their window. Their hearts raced their minds froze, their souls grew afraid, an erie feeling crept into the room.

"Mommy!" All four of them screamed as they threw off the covers and ran down the hall. They burst into their parent's room. Zoe and Sophie climbed onto the bed. Tessa and Hanna stood at the end of their bed, their eyes wide.

"What is it, what's wrong?" Andrew asked, taking Sophie into his arms, his green eyes flashed with concern.

"I…we…"

"Um…." Tessa and Hanna were rendered speechless.

"What is it?" Fear could be seen in Monica's eyes.

"We don't know." Zoe closed her eyes as her mother enclosed her in her embrace. She kissed the top of her head.

"Can we sleep with you tonight, please?" Tessa inquired.

"Of course." Andrew told his daughter. "But where?"

"Anywhere, on the floor even…"

"Okay. What scared you girls?"

"We're just scared, that's all. There's this feeling in there, and…."

"Oh." Andrew and Monica said at once understanding.

"Well, in that case, you can definitely sleep here."

"Girls, I think I'll take the couch and the four of you can sleep with your Mom…"

"Oh, no dad."

"Dad no you don't have…"

"Daddy…."

"It's the only way we're all going to have a place to sleep." He said, getting out of his bed, lifting the covers and motioning for the girls to get in. Once they did he left to get blankets and a pillow.

"There now, this is nice, isn't it?" Monica asked as she and the girls settled into the bed. It was snug, but each of them had room. Sophie lye in her mother's arms, Zoe was behind Monica and the twins were on the other side of Sophie.

"Good night my girls." Andrew smiled as he kissed his wife and four daughters goodnight.

"Night Andrew." Monica barely said before she fell asleep. The girls were already fast asleep.

When Tessa, Hanna and Zoe woke up they found themselves alone in the room. It was raining intensely outside. The sisters stretched and yawned and went back to sleep again. By this time, the three of them were on the middle of the bed.

"Time to wake-up girls." Monica said as she threw the covers off her daughters. They all whined in their half asleep states and they mumbled muffled protests.

"We have a long day ahead of us, my darlings, wake-up." She urged. "You can nap in the car." Zoe opened her eyes to look at her mother.

"Good morning Zoe sweetheart." room and gazed out the window. The rain was pouring heavily. She sighed, and she Monica smiled.

"Hi."

"It's time to get up." Zoe sighed as she dragged herself out of bed and down the hall to her own room.

"Tessa, Hanna, it's time to get up." Monica smiled as she tried to wake her twins. They mumbled in their sleep and then they too opened their eyes.

"Good morning." She smiled. She kissed Tessa and Hanna and the twins climbed out of bed and down the hall.

Monica walked over the edge of the almost screamed once she felt a hand on her shoulder. But then she felt arms wrap around her waist and hold her tight, and a head rest on top of hers.

"You okay, Monica?"

"Yes, Andre. I'm just looking out at the rain."

"Sophie's afraid to go out in it. I told her I'd carry her all the way."

"Oh, that's cute darling."

……………….More to follow……………….


	4. Chapter 4

"Wow, the storm is really bad and getting worse." Andrew said as he looked out the kitchen window.

"I wish we didn't have to go anywhere, Sophie's so scared." Monica looked down at Sophie who was sobbing, her face buried in her mother's leg.

Suddenly the lights flickered and the power went out.

"Well, we'll just have to make a fun day out of it, won't we Andrew?" She asked as he lifted Sophie into his arms.

"Yeah little angel, it's not scary, it's fun."

"Hey, where might I ask do you think you're going?" Monica asked, yanking Zoë away from the back door.

"I just felt like walking in the rain before we left."

"Honey, the storm's too awful for that right now. In fact we're not going on assignment now."

"Oh. Well in that case, someone better go shopping."

"You're right. Tell you what, you wanna get Tessa and Hanna and meet me down here in five minutes, I'll need all three of you."

"Okay."

"And I was going to give the twins their present and tell them the news today. But it's too stormy and plus, it's not here yet!"

"I know. That'll be hard, but good for Zoë I think and Zoë needs something to go her way for once."

Zoë was standing on the staircase listening and got really excited when she heard something was going to go her way. She covered her mouth as she started squealing and jumping up and down. She turned around quickly and ran up the stairs almost running into a baffled Olivia on the way.

"Here Sophie." Andrew put his daughter down.

"Why don't you go and play with Olivia?" Monica finished.

"Yeah, Sophie, I've been wondering where you were, Michael and I are putting those glow in the dark constellations on our walls."

"That sounds like fun!" Sophie squealed (for lack of a better word) and ran up the stairs with her cousin.

Monica and Andrew smiled.

"What are you so happy about Zo?" Hanna asked.

"Dad has some news for you two, and guess what, because of it, something's actually going to go my way!!!"

"Well I'm glad for that, do you have any idea what the news is?"

"No, not at all. I don't even know what's going to go my way." Zoë sat on her bed and hugged her pillow.

"Well," Tessa said, "we'll just have to wait then."

"This is going to be so difficult! Maybe we're being separated!"

Tessa looked up startled by the thought.

"No, I don't think it's that, Dad wasn't it at all upset, I overheard this by the way, meaning I wasn't supposed to hear it."

"That so often happens to us, doesn't it?" Tessa asked.

"How about trivial pursuit?"

"When we get home, Mom needs us to go to the store with her, stocking up for the storm you know."

The girls put on their shoes and coats, feeling despicable about dressing causally that day, but hey a storm was raging outside right?

Meanwhile, at Zabars Monica and her daughters split up into two teams. The twins took a cart, as did Zoë and Monica.

"It's nice to spend time alone with you Mom."

"You too, Zoë." Her mother hugged, "and there will be a lot more soon." She began to wonder if this is what was going to shift her way.

"I'm just glad that this weather thing means no assignment and no school!"

"For you, your Dad will still have to go out."

"People always need him, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do." Monica sighed.

"Now, what can it be!?" Hanna wondered out loud.

"Don't ask me, I'm just as clueless as you are."

"I just hope it's not that we're being separated."

"It can't be, because we were promised at least a year together, remember?"

"Yeah, that's true."

"It's so difficult to get enough food for a family this large."

"Yeah it really is."

"I really love being part of it though." Tessa hugged Hanna. "I know I wanna have a lot of kids when my time comes."

"Kids? I want a few, not more than Mom's got."

"That's weird, here we are, just talking about our futures as though we were human or something."

Tessa and Hanna looked up to see this woman simply staring at them like they were insane.

"It's okay lady." Hanna said, "we're just mutant aliens visiting from the planet Zierg, nothing to be alarmed about." The girls burst into giggles, feeling badly about the hysterical encounter as they went onto another isle.

"I wish Grandma Tess were here."

"Me too." The girls pushed the cart, their arms linked as they took identical steps.

"I wonder where she is."

"I don't know. Do you think she likes you better because you're her namesake?"

"What than you or all the other kids and you?"

"The later."

"No, of course not. Tess isn't like that."

"I sincerely thought not. Wanna play a game when we get home?"

"Sure."

By the time they got home the lights were back on but the snow seemed to be falling heavier and heavier and even steadier by the minute. Tessa doubted that this could be true, but helped her father carry firewood into the living room anyway. The Dog lye on the couch watching them. Hanna noted that he seemed ashamed of the glow in the dark star that was stuck on his head. Yet she still did nothing, even as she sat there, inhaling a bowl of cereal.

The whole family was mostly quiet at dinner that night. Andrew and Monica were thinking about what they had to tell the twins and something a little more…. shall we say, private that they had yet to really bring out in the open. Gloria and Adam were in a quandary. Zoë was in a euphoric state. Olivia was half way through the new issue of the science journal she read bi-monthly and highly anticipating the next book she had waiting for her. Tessa and Hanna looked at each other from across the table and wondered if their time together would soon end. Michael stared up at his father between bites, knowing that there was something up. Above all, everyone at that table wished that something and anything remotely positive would shatter the deafening silence that so seldom existed between them. Suddenly, their heads all snapped up once the doorbell rang.

Zabars- A high-end grocery store in New York City


	5. Chapter 5

"Hi Grandma Tess." The door flew open when Tessa answered it; she was barely able to shut it again. 

"Hi baby." She hugged her. "Now don't look outside. Your present is waiting out there." 

"Present? Out there?" She asked as Tess led her back into the dining room. Everyone looked up at Tess excitedly. 

"Hi babies!" Tess squealed, her namesake suspicious as she was smiling from ear to ear. "Well Angel Babies, it's time for the big announcement." Monica and Andrew got up. Hanna did as well, noticing her mother motioning for her to come and stand near the door with the rest of them. 

"Well girls, you've had your time at home together, haven't you?" The twins looked at each other, nodded and gulped in fear. 

"Yes I do believe we have." Tessa said.

"Well girls, you're going to be sent out on casework immediately." Monica smiled. "Both of you together."

"God himself will be your supervisor. We'll all check in once in a while too, though. Mostly, me actually." Andrew said. 

"And these are for you." Tess tossed them something. Hanna caught it; it was a set of keys. The twins looked at each other, almost in slow motion. 

"Cool." They seemed almost amazed as they ran outside to see their car, the whole family followed. 

As soon as the storm came, it stopped and the sun shown brightly. Hanna and Tessa were amazed by their new car. If Honda still made an element in 2018, that would be the car. 

"The other thing girls, is that you'll be traveling a little bit, doing casework in other places. But mostly, you'll be living in and going to school in California."

"We get to go to school!" The girls squealed as they hugged Tess and then their parents. 

"Yeah babies, and there will be a lot of hard work, and fun, friends, great cases, maybe even a bit of romance, babies." The girls were intrigued. "I'm sorry it took a little long. It's not exactly the traditional path to go to university; you're a little late. But you'll be more than fine. This is the beginning of your lives."

Tessa and Hanna packed a huge duffle bag each and two smaller bags. They loaded the car full of their belongings and after saying goodbye to their family, they hit the road.

………………..

"But Grandma, what about me?" Zoë asked, I know it seems to selfish, but there was supposed to be something for me to, for Zoë, remember me?"

"Of course I remember you baby." Tess kissed her forehead. "And so does God, he hasn't forgotten you either. And he has spectacular things planned for you too. Just wait a little bit longer and pray. Things will be better for you sooner than you think."

Zoë didn't like this answer, but realized that she felt better and was getting more attention. The next day she woke up and had grown so much taller that her clothes didn't fit for the most part. 

"My, my my little string bean." Monica teased as she sipped her coffee. "You're so tall and skinny."

"Mom, I don't think any of my clothes are going to fit, and I haven't even tried on my shoes." 

"I agree. That's why we're going shopping today. So we can get you things that fit and more importantly, get you a whole new look."

"A whole new look? Really?" She asked, she had sort of wanted one.

"Yap." 

"Mom, you've got coffee all over your lips."

Monica helped Zoë find something to wear, happy about the amount of hand-me-downs she now had for Sophie. Zoë felt ridiculous in her Capri's, tee shirt and a pair of Gloria's flip-flops, because nothing else fit. She and her sisters all hated dressing casually. Zoë was thinking of going for the Park Avenue Gossip Girl look when she entered Bloomingdales later that day. 

"Mom, do you think I'll ever stop growing? I'm not even thirteen and I'm taller than everyone in the family but Daddy."

"Yes honey, you will stop growing. Soon I think. Oh gosh, you need new uniforms too, don't you?

"Yes, but I can just wear those most of the time. I need just need jeans and new shoes."

"How about high heels?" 

Zoë smiled, intrigued by the suggestion.

…………………

Hanna and Tessa stopped the car on the side of a dusty road several days after leaving to consult their roadmap. Hanna, who had been driving, looked up and around, having no clue of where to go. Her sister held the other side of the map, thinking the same thing. 

"What state are we even in?"

"We're in Arkansas."

"Oh." Tessa snickered. 

"What's so funny?"

"I was just thinking of the joke Olivia would make about their politicians."

"Oh, yes. You do have to like that Huckabee though."

"Yes, that's true." She smiled. Suddenly a cloud of dust swarmed around them as a car sped by and the sisters began to cough and rub their eyes. 

"Wow." Tessa continued to clear her throat, that was awful. 

"I know. Hey the sun's going down."

"Do you think we should stop for the night? I mean we have been driving for a few days, and this whole human form thing is really beginning to wear on me.

"Okay, just as long as we find a place that's not too creepy or anything."

"You mean a place where angels don't fear to tread." The girls laughed as the drove into the small town they were approaching near the boarder with Texas, population: 48.

………………..

"Wow!" Sophie said as Zoe came down the back staircase. It would just be Monica and her two younger girls for dinner that night. "You look like a grown up lady."

Zoe laughed, tucking her long hair behind her ear and sitting next to her baby sister. 

"Thanks, kiddo." She hugged her.

"Oh, my grown up little girl." Monica pat Zoe's back as she too sat down. 

"What did they do to you?"

"Nothing I grew and got different clothes. It'll happen to you someday, in fact it's happening to you all the time."

The phone rang and Monica got up to answer it during this conversation.

"Yay pizza!" Sophie reached for her dinner.

"Come on girls, we've got to go."

"Go where." 

"But I, I'm…"

"No time to explain, just get a coat, get the dog and pile in the car."

So the three of them scrambled out the door.

…………………

The little town was not half as bad as either of them expected it to be. They weren't at all expecting a pretty little Pleasantville of sorts, but that's what it seemed to be. There were several hotels in town and they tried every one of them. The last one they came to was the strangest site they'd seen in a while and the only place with a vacancy- it was a hotel that was embarking on a murder mystery weekend.

"Oh come on Tessa. It'll be fun." She consoled her sister on the elevator ride up to their room.

"It' wont be fun or restful, it's a case."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, yes I do." Tessa eyed the bellhop carefully, hoping he had no idea what they were talking about. She felt suspicious about him.

"Come on sis, relax a little." Hanna threw her arm around her. 

Tessa sighed, doing the same to her sister realizing there was not much more that she could do but relax and go with the flow.


	6. Chapter 6

Now we've been discussing the fact that our dear Zoë has been on the presepus of a life change. She has been praying and working and expecting things to turn around to her favor- for once. Monica, Zoë and Sophie got back from their drive the next morning, all it turned out to be was a much needed road trip to the country; and a diversion from Zoë's stress- a stress that both of her parents felt. Monica was in the kitchen; playing with Sophie and Zoë had gone and decided to get the mail. The family mail was always an array of strange things; car bills, publishers clearing house, magazines, and college offers of Olivia…but usually Zoë found herself left out of the mail. Today however would be an exception. Today she received two large think envelopes just for her.

You see, as she began to feel progressively left out after Hanna's return she decided that she needed to do something to improve her life. She was bored with her school anyway, and after asking the Father she went ahead with her plan. Earlier that year Zoë had taken the initiative to apply to several prep schools for the fall semester. She was surprised to receive think envelopes from both Lexington Academy for Girls in New York City, and Woodbridge Prep Academy (both entirely fictional institutions as far as I am aware), in Connecticut. Zoë gulped now- what a decision to make. She could leave- go to Connecticut if she wanted to.

"Mom!" Zoë called.

"Yes sweetheart, what is it?"

"Look!" She handed her mother the envelopes.

"Oh Zoë that's wonderful!!" She squealed. Sophie looked up puzzled. "Oh Lexington and Woodbridge! Are you so excited Zoë- those were your dream schools!"

"Yeah! And now Mom, what do I do I never imagined that I would get into both!"

"Well calm down sweetheart- we'll figure out what to do. And you've got to think about college- which one would be more advantageous in that light."

"I know, I know." Zoë said.

"Is it a present?" Her little sister inquired.  
"Well sort of. Now I just have to decide which school to go to."

"Is it near my school?"

"Well one of them is a few blocks away and one of them is in Connecticut."

"Oh." Sophie was silent.

"And then there's summer camp." Monica said.

"College reps will be there, I'm going."

"I know."

Olivia and Michael were being babysat by Monica that day. They ventured upstairs to the attic to see what was up there, they had always been curious about it, but now their mother told them they were old enough to go. Really they weren't she just thought she'd give them a privilege because they'd been so good lately. After they got over the initial coughing attack from the dust they were able to look around a little bit.

"I wonder if there's anything we could use up here."

"Use for what?"

"I'm not sure- I just feel like it's time for a new hobby."

"Um, that does sound like fun. Hey, you know anything about computers Livia?"

"Actually, not really- do you have an idea."

"Sure do." He smiled, putting his hand on a very old apple computer.

"What could we do with that, it's archaic- it predates Tessa and Hanna."

"It couldn't hurt to find out now could it?"

The twins smiled and carried the computer back down the stairs knowing that they would come up with something fabulous relating to their new find. The dog followed them back down the stairs.

"What are you reading?" Tessa inquired as she drove down the little two-lane road.

"It's a historical pamphlet from the 2008 presidential election entitled, "Top 200 people more qualified to run for President than Barack Obama."

"Is Richard Nixon, ghost of, anywhere on the list?" She laughed.

"Quit talking about politics and start thinking about your assignment." Tessa nearly swerved among hearing a voice. Both girls screamed.

"Grandma Tess you scared us!!"

"Sorry babies- I'll give you a little more warning next time. Now you're going to California, right?"

"Here we come, right back where we started from." Hanna mumbled sarcastically.

"Well I just came to check on you and to tell you to head up north to San Francisco, because that's where your assignment is." Then she disappeared.

"Yes!!"

"Someone likes San Fran!"

"Yes, and I've always wanted to show it to you- ever been?"

"No- but if you like something that much chances are I'll like it too! Oh and hey, since you've pulled over- my turn to drive."

Tessa reluctantly switched seats with her sister- who took off loudly and with a screech of the tires.

Later that week Monica was driving back from taking Zoë to her camp and of course one of her school interviews- she quietly contemplated her future as she listened to the calm sounds of Sophie's snoring.

"Sweet isn't she?"

Monica jumped.

"Oh Andre- it's just you!" She exclaimed.

"Yeah sweetie, it's me."

"Oh darling, it seems like it's been so long."

"I know angel love- it has! Which school is Zoë going to pick?"

"I'm not sure- I don't want her to go to Connecticut, Andrew. What did we do that was so wrong that she wants to leave us when she's only barely thirteen."

"Nothing Monica- that's just it- she's thirteen- Tessa was fourteen when she left home. Remember?"

"Oh yeah, I guess your right."

"Anyway- back to what I was saying before, you and I are about to have a lot more time together."

"Oh Andrew, that would be wonderful! What brought this on all of a sudden?"

"A new line of work- well actually an old one. We're getting back into the nitty gitty so to speak of casework."

"Really?! Oh Andrew I've missed those days, ones like before we were ever married! When we were first in love."

"Me too!!" He kissed her as she pulled over to the side of the road.

"What about baby Sophie? And the house?"

"The house is home base- just as it's always been and Sophie is of course coming with us. I think this new assignment might just be a summer thing- but it's pretty cool."

"Que romantico!" Monica teased.

"Funny you should say that, because first we're heading towards the border." Since Sophie wasn't awake to notice the couple shared another deep kiss.

"Come on, let's go home and celebrate."

Later that evening after Sophie slept and they had explained to her what was about to happen, Monica and Andrew set up for a relaxing evening.

"I love all the candles you picked out Andre- they remind me of the wedding."

"Me too- and I'm so glad we get to see each other more often." He cupped her cheeks in his hands as he sat next to her on the end of the bed. She smiled placing her hand over his and running her fingers over his wedding ring.

"I love you angel girl."

"I love you forever Andre." They began to kiss and fell back onto the bed as the storm raging outside suddenly switched off the lights.


End file.
